


The Wizard King

by Sweetheart627



Category: The Labrynth
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-14
Updated: 2014-05-14
Packaged: 2018-01-24 17:00:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1612592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweetheart627/pseuds/Sweetheart627
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prequel to the Labrynth</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Wizard King

The Wizard King

Jareth walked briskly down the narrow streets towards the town gate. His cloak flapped in the afternoon wind. His choppy blonde hair fell in his blue eyes. He was going to meet Sarah, the woman he loved. They had to meet in secret because her parents didn't approve. Though he didn't like it, Jareth understood their resentment. He was a sorcerer, after all. Not the most respected of occupations. Another factor against them was that Sarah was the daughter of one of the highest city councilors. 

Jareth went around the back of the abandoned house where they had been meeting. Sarah wasn't there yet, so he sat on the bench there and leaned back against the wall to wait. As he stood there, he cast a reflection spell to fix himself up. He was a good-looking young man and would be for quite a while. His master had performed a youth spell on him a few years ago. It didn't cause immortality, but slowed his aging process. He could now live almost 300 years and still look young. 

Suddenly, Sarah rushed around the corner and straight into his arms. She was flushed, out of breath, and her rosy cheeks were streaked with tears. 

"What's wrong, darling?" Jareth asked. He held her close as she sobbed. "Is someone after you? Did someone hurt you?" She just shook her head, buried her face into his shoulder, and cried harder. Jareth lowered her onto the bench and gently rocked her back and forth. "Hey now, it's ok. Shhh shh I've got you. No one's going to hurt you." He stroked her soft black hair as she slowly calmed down. "Now then, tell me what's wrong?" 

Sarah sat up and took a deep breath, "My parents promised my hand to Lord Swillyn. I'm to marry him within a year's time. They said it was either that or I would remain at home to raise my half brother. So my choices are the fat oaf or the little goblin. I can't do it Jareth. I just can't." 

Jareth lifted Sarah's chin until she looked at him. "Those aren't your only options. You could marry me. I can protect you. I'll take care of you. There would be no little goblin to take care of." He held her tightly and kissed the tears away from her blue eyes. Then he kissed her mouth, gently and sweetly. She tasted of apples and sugar. 

"My father and stepmother would kill you before they let you marry me. They would find a way to keep us apart. They wouldn't let us marry when the other option is a lord."

Suddenly, the clock in the square beyond chimed the hour. Sarah's eyes grew wide and she pulled away from Jareth, "Oh no! I promised my stepmother I would be home before the hour. I have to go, Jareth. For now we must be patient. There is nothing we can do yet, but I will try to change my parents' minds. Please don't try to do anything rash, my love. Promise me." 

Jareth sighed but nodded, "I promise." Sarah kissed him again quickly before running off. 

Jareth watched her disappear through the crowd then mumbled, "Klaira octem." When the transporting spell faded, he stood in his hut. A small, one-room home built into the trunk of a tree, it was perfect for a lonely sorcerer. There were charms hanging in various places, potions and herbs lined the shelves with spell books. A table in the center of the room was covered with papers and scrolls. A feather bed was tucked into a corner. There was a nightstand with a water bowl and jar on it. A desk sat against one wall with paper and writing materials. On the opposite side of the house, at the foot of the bed, stood a wardrobe and a trunk. 

Jareth sat down at the table and steepled his fingers on his lips. There had to be a way to save his Sarah. He looked through all of his spell books twice, but found nothing that could help. He didn't want to kill her parents, that would only cause his exile. Jareth removed his cloak and shoes, flopped of the bed, where he slowly fell into a fitful sleep. 

~*~

The next afternoon, he went to Sarah's house to try to talk to her parents. Jareth straightened himself out and knocked on the door. A thin, wiry, old man answered the door. He looked at Jareth apathetically. 

"May I help you?" he asked in a droll mood. 

"Yes, is the master of the house in?" Jareth answered politely. "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar," he reminded himself. 

"Yes he is." 

Jareth waited a moment for him to finish. "May I see him, please?" 

The man sighed, "Follow me." 

Jareth walked behind the man to a large study. The walls were lined with books and busts. The back wall had a large floor-to-ceiling window. A massive oak desk sat in front of it, covered with documents and papers. A well-rounded man, in his late fifties perhaps, sat at the desk. He was practically inhaling the tray of food in front him. Jareth looked on in disgust as the man barely even stopped to chew. His trim beard was spattered with bits of food. He let out a loud belch as he finally notice the two of them standing there. 

"Druthers, who is this man? What does he want?"

Druthers looked at Jareth, uninterestedly, "I don't know sir. He asked to see you." 

"You don't know anything you worthless sack of flesh," Sarah's father mumbled under his breath.   
"Leave us, Druthers. You," he looked at Jareth, "Who are you? What do you want? Money? You won't get any." 

"No sir, I don't want money. I wanted to talk to you about your daughter, Sarah."

Her father looked up at him surprised. Jareth took a deep breath and continued, "I'd like to ask you for her hand in marriage. I've loved..." 

"WHAT!! You dare come into my house and ask for my daughter's hand in marriage. Who are you? Are you a lord? Do you have any title or station? Do you even have any money?"

"My name is Jareth. I'm a sorcerer. I don't have anything to my name except my home in the woods. But I love your daughter. I have for quite some time. And she loves me too." 

"Lies. My daughter could never love someone as unsubstantial as a common sorcerer. She is also promised to Lord Swillyn. That union will greatly increase my pockets. He will pay greatly for my daughter hand. You have nothing. You are nothing." 

Jareth could feel the anger rising in him, his hands tingling with restrained magic. He closed his eyes, clenched his fists, and calmed himself down. This was going nowhere. The magician looked up at the lord who was back to his food. He nodded slightly with a tight smile before turning and walking out the door. 

In the hallway he saw Sarah sitting in the garden through a window. He transported himself out behind her and sat down on the bench. Sarah jumped when he began gently kissing her neck. "Jareth! You scared the life out of me. What are you doing here? Father will have you killed if he sees you here." 

Jareth took her hand and kissed the back of it. "He knows. I came here to talk to him about us. To ask for his permission to marry you. He turned me down and turned me out. I'm sorry, Sarah, I tried." 

She leaned her forehead on his shoulder and sighed. "I knew it wouldn't be any use." Jareth felt wetness on his sleeve and tipped her chin up to see her crying. "I don't want to marry that pig but I hate staying here." 

He held onto her for awhile thinking of an escape plan. "Let's run away. We can hide in my house in the woods. I'll take care of you." 

Sarah thought a moment, considering her options. "Ok...ok let's do it. Come back tonight at midnight. I'll pack my things." 

~*~

That night, Jareth appeared in front of the stately manor, dressed fully in black. He opened the door and crept into the main hall. Seeing a small alcove of shadows, he slid to the darkness and hid there, waiting for his love. 

It didn't take long before he heard her tiptoeing softly down the stairs. When she came into view, he waved her over. 

"Are you ready?" He asked as he held her tightly. She nodded into his chest and they started towards the door. But, upon opening it, a swarm of royal guards chased them back in. Three of them grabbed Jareth and forced him to his knees while another held Sarah as she struggled to run. 

"Did you really think it would be that easy?" Boomed the thunderous voice of Sarah's father. They both looked up to see him and his wife, both still in sleeping attire, descending the stairs. Sarah's stepmother was a thin, wiry, vulture-like woman. She glared in smug triumph at the scene before her. 

The fat lord came over and backhanded Sarah across the face. "How dare you try to run away from me. I will not lose this alliance with Lord Swillyn. You will stay here and do as I say."

The guards hoisted Jareth up to his feet as the lady of the house came over to him. "Did you really think you could have her, wizard? You are nothing. I heard the two of you planning in the garden. There was no way that we were going to let you take her away. She's far too valuable for the likes of you, scum." She turned to walk away but suddenly whirled back around and slapped Jareth across the face, leaving two long red scratches there. She nodded to the guards who began dragging him outside. 

At the last minute, he struggled and fought until he was free. He ran over to Sarah, pulled her close, and transported them away. The last thing they heard was her stepmother screaming in fury. When the spell vanished around them, they stood about 100 feet from his home. Sarah clung to his cloak, shaking in fear and cold. When Jareth tried to get her into the house, she collapsed, unconscious. He scooped her up, carried her in, and laid her down on the bed. After covering her, he stepped over to the door. 

"Allga maitoo verisie," he whispered the protective spell over the house so that no one could see it. Now that he had saved her, he was going to keep his Sarah safe. He went over to the bed and climbed in beside her. As he wrapped his arms around her, he let her gentle breathing lull him off to sleep. 

~*~

The next morning, Jareth awoke to hear Sarah moaning. She held her head and all the color drained from her face. "Where am I? What...what happened? Oh, my head." 

"A side effect of transporting. It goes away after awhile. Here, let me get you something for it." Jareth walked over to the cupboard of potions and pulled a small blue bottle out. He poured a cup of water with one drop of the glowing liquid into it. With it in hand, he went and sat back down on the bed. "Here. This will take the dizziness away." 

Sarah drank the contents and looked around her surroundings. "Thank you. For this drink and bringing me here." 

Jareth leaned down and kissed her. "Your welcome." 

Sarah gently pulled him down over her, kissing him with more hunger and passion. She slipped her hand under his shirt, feeling the thin layer of solid muscle hidden there. Jareth moaned when she began undoing the buttons on his top. He wanted this so much, he was almost seeing stars. He gently kissed her cheek, her neck, and her ear. 

Just as he began unlacing her dress, they heard a commotion outside. Jareth walked over to the window and peered outside. There were hundreds of men combing the forest, looking for his home. They called Sarah's name, but the bows and swords in their hands told that they weren't too worried about her welfare. Jareth was glad he had placed the protective spell around the cabin the previous night. Now, all the men saw was a gnarled old tree. 

"What is it?" Sarah asked as she made her way over. 

"Your father has half the town out looking for you. No doubt he has a reward put out for your return. Don't worry, I won't let them take you." He pulled her close as the mass of searchers finally drifted past and out of sight. 

"What are we going to do?" The young woman asked. "We can't stay in here forever, but I know my father won't stop searching for me." 

"I don't know. I need to look over my spells and see what I can find." And that is what he did that night. As Sarah slept, Jareth poured over every spell or incantation he knew. The earliest light of morning was peeking over the horizon when he found a possible solution. 

"Sarah. Sarah, wake up. I may have found an answer. Look." 

The girl peered sleepily at an old parchment covered in words and illustrations that meant nothing to her. "What is it." 

"A new land. This is a spell that opens a portal to a whole new world. We could go there and start anew. No one would hunt us down or try to take you from me. What do you think?"

"I think it's too good to be true. And that you may be a little crazy. Isn't it dangerous? I mean, we know nothing about this world. There could be any sort of danger. What if there is no magic there? Is it worth the risk?" 

"Anything's worth the risk if I can give you a good life. I'll go first and see what kind of world it is. If its safe, I'll come back for you. If not, we'll have to find another solution. Trust me, Sarah." 

Though it took quite a bit of convincing, Sarah finally agreed to the plan. Jareth set about making preparations. He cast various spells over the home, ones that would provide for Sarah in his absence. "I'll be gone five days. That'll give me enough time to get a bearing on the land. I'll be back, Sarah. I promise." Sarah kissed him passionately before he turned and walked to the door. 

"Don't leave the house until I get back. I can't rusk someone finding you and you not being here when I get back. Promise me." 

"I promise." 

Jareth nodded as he opened the portal. Just before stepping through, he turned back to the young woman "I love you." 

"I love you too." And with that, the wizard disappeared into the vortex. 

The land Jareth found himself in was a barren, desert-like place. The few trees and bushes he saw were dry and blackened with heat. He turned to see what lay behind him and jumped back in amazement. 

Laying in the valley beyond was an enormous labrynth. The high stone walls rose at least twenty feet in the air. At the center, he could see a small city surrounding a castle. With a snap of his fingers, he transported himself to the opened gates of the city. As he strolled through, he found the place deserted. There was no living thing except a few chickens here and there. Inside the castle, everything was dusty and dirty, but to his liking. 

"This will be perfect for us. No one to bother us, and a castle to live in." 

Jareth spent the rest of the day cleaning the stone palace. The next morning, he explored the labyrinth more and found a few occupants. They were strange creatures: small furry rodent-like animals, large hairy trolls, men with birds on their heads, and goblins. Every species he encountered was more than happy to allow him to take control of their land. All it took on his part was a few magic tricks and they viewed him as a god. 

Throughout the next few days, Jareth set up his kingdom. He fixed the maze, creating separate parts and areas. He organized a small army of sorts. The citizens of his new realm were put to work one way of another to make a good living for themselves. Finally, after five days, Jareth decided that everything was set for his love to join him. 

As he stepped from the reopened portal back into his home, the first thing he noticed was how dusty everything was. He looked to the bed and found it empty. In fact, the whole place looked as if no one had been here for years. The wizard walked outside to the night and called Sarah's name, but heard no answer. A quick transport took him to the outside of her parent's house. 

Jareth barged through the door without knocking, "WHERE IS SHE?" he shouted to the empty hallway. After a moment, an old man walked down the stairs in his nightgown. "Who are you sir? How dare you come charging in here." 

"Where is Sarah?" 

"Sarah? Sarah who?" The man began to light the lamps, casting shadows over the hall.

"Your daughter Sarah. You know exactly..." Jareth suddenly stopped. This man was not Sarah's father. "Who are you? Where is the family that use to live here?" 

"I don't know what you mean. I've lived here all my life. Wait! I know you. You're the sorcerer who kidnapped my sister." 

"Your sister?" 

"My sister Sarah. She was only seventeen. You came and stole her in the middle of the night. I was only a small boy, but I remember it. I watched the whole thing from the staircase." 

"The goblin? You are her stepbrother? But how? I only left five days ago." Jareth sank into a chair as he tried to comprehend what was going on. 

"No, you've been gone over sixty years. My sister came back when she was in her thirties. She said that she could no longer hide in the woods. That she had given up hope on you coming back. Our father had died by then. She never married, though." 

Jareth could only sink his head into his hands. "Sixty years? How is this possible? Tell me, where is she now." 

Sarah's brother gestured for him to follow as he walked out to the garden. At the back, under a willow tree, sat a small grave. Sarah's name was etched across the marble with the words "She waited for her love, but died without his arms around her." 

Jareth sunk to his knees as tears began to seep from his eyes. She was dead. His beloved Sarah was dead. He slammed his fists into the dirt as anger courses through him. There was nothing for him here now. After some time, he rose and left, returning to his goblin kingdom. 

Here he ruled as king, alone, for hundreds of years. It wasn't until one day when he heard someone call for him did he stir from his throne. 

"Goblin king, goblin king, wherever you may be, take this child of mine far away from me!"


End file.
